Dubai plans to vet organic food testing labs

The local test results will be an added assurance the food is organic.

There are many products in Dubai shops that claim to be organic and authorities are working to verify those claims.

Organic food is meant to be free of pesticides, hormones and chemicals. Many consumers pay more for organic food believing it is healthier. Industry sources estimate the UAE organic market is valued at more than $100 million-$150 million (Dh367.2 million-Dh550.80 million) per year.

All organic products must be registered with Dubai Municipality, a municipality official told Gulf News on Tuesday.

Naseem Abdullah, head of consumer products inspection section of the municipality’s public health and safety department, said the municipality checks if documents related to the product are genuine and valid.

Many of the products are imported and their documents issued by non-UAE governments or organic certification or accreditation bodies. The municipality investigates the veracity of the paperwork, including any overseas test results.

However, the plan is to accredit Dubai or UAE-based labs so they too can confirm the product is organic, Naseem said.

The independent third-party lab test results will be recognised by authorities such as Dubai Municipality and Dubai Accreditation Centre provided the labs qualify for accreditation.

It is possible the accreditation could be valid on the national level, she added.

However, the Emirates Authority and Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) already issues a conformity certificate for organic products, its website says.

It says the certificate assures compliance with “requirements of the approved standards and [that] the production system is complying with the requirements… specified in the technical regulation by [Esma].”

In 2012, a senior official had told Gulf News organic farms in the UAE and imported organic foods were being certified by Esma for the first time.

The Ministry of Environment and Water official had said the move followed regulation initiated by the ministry in 2012. At the time, 17 farms in the UAE had been certified and others were under process.

Naseem said in order for Dubai’s organic certification scheme to reach its full potential, “we need to make sure there are certain labs with accreditation. We can’t be relying only on documents for 100 per cent [of the process].”

She added it was possible the lab accredidation scheme could go national, but stressed any such plan “has not yet been finalised. It is a process, and any detailed process can take time.”

Her comments came on the sidelines of a press conference announcing the Middle East Natural and Organic Product Expo scheduled for November 25-27 in Dubai. More than 125 companies in the field are taking part in the two-day event.